John Moredock

An occasional frontiersman seems to have lived for the sole purpose of killing Indians. Such a person was John Moredock, who in the 1780’s saw several members of a party of settlers, including his mother, on their way to Kaskaskia from Pennsylvania killed by the Indians near Grand Tower in Jackson County. Moredock’s stepfather, a Mr. Huff, was also killed a short time afterwards. Influenced by these experiences, young Moredock became perhaps the most deadly enemy that the Red Men of Illinois ever knew. No expedition to punish the Indians would have been complete without John Moredock, seeking opportunity to retaliate against them for old injuries. He became a major in the militia and served during the campaign of 1812.